Crossing Boundaries
by Blackstorm808
Summary: Yugi said goodbye to Atem two years ago. The pharoah departed for the afterlife because his job was finished and the world was safe, but you know what they say-Distance only makes the heart grow fonder. With Atem gone, Yugi only misses him more. What happens when he get's dragged into a different reality, where he gets his wish to see Atem again, but it's not the one he knows?


**Hey folks, new story, another unfamiliar genre I've never touched. I was re-hashing my childhood, and I remembered how great this series was. I downloaded the movies for it, and was inspired to write this. It's yaoi, because for some reason Yami and Yugi work better than any other yaoi couple I've ever seen. But yeah...here's the intro chapter. Lemme know what you think xD **

**Read enjoy.**

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Yugi traced the edge of his Dark Magician card, his fingers trembling as it stroked the worn edges. Every time he was in a bind, this card surfaced from his deck to save him. It served Atem 5,000 years ago, and it served him every time he needed to protect himself or his friends now. However, it wasn't an enemy that was threatening to destroy him this time. This time it was his own emotions that were eroding his defenses, and burying him in depression. The Dark Magician couldn't protect him from this feeling of staggering loss and despair.

It had been two years since he lost his other half.

He was nineteen now, and he still missed Atem just as desperately as he had the day he left.

Yugi could honestly say, dueling his best friend, the spirit of his millennium puzzle, was the hardest battle he'd ever won. He'd banished Atem to the other world so the pharaoh would not have to linger here-in this world any longer. Atem didn't deserve to be stuck in time for another millennia. The world was safe, and although Yugi counted the pharaoh among his dearest friends, he would never ask him to remain when it was clearly time for him to leave.

He remembered falling to his knees as he summoned the final monster that would send Atem away forever-the Silent Swordsman level 7. Tears rolled down his cheeks, and still he refused to call off his monster's relentless attack.

He'd closed his eyes as Atem's life points dropped to zero.

He only opened them when the pharaoh knelt down in front of him, and smiled, genuinely smiled in relief and pride. "You are my greatest opponent Yugi, and the strongest person I have ever met. Never doubt yourself."

Yugi grit his teeth, and tears burned at the edge of his vision at the memory. His hair cascaded down across his eyes, hiding his anguish, and he buried his face in his arms, laying his head over the Dark Magician card.

They'd been through so much together. They faced the Shadow Realm as a team, dismantled Pegasus' empire, and Kaiba's Duelist Kingdom Tournament. They defeated Marik, and Bakura, and found the three Egyptian god cards, and the secret to Atem's past. Yugi had never felt so confidant, and capable as when Atem was with him. They derived strength from each other, and courage. Yugi felt like he could take on the world, and he had. His bond with Atem was insurmountable, and together they were a force to be reckoned with.

But even if he didn't possess the pharoah's courage he would still ache for the bond they had. There was a level of trust between them that no one could measure-not even his closest friends, and he treasured it.

With Atem gone, he felt malformed.

He couldn't seem to function the same way.

Every breath without him was painful, and he didn't know why he couldn't just move on.

Jouonichi, Anzu , and Honda were all living their own lives. Jouonichi was a game store owner, and a successful Duel Monsters collector. His business prowess rivaled that of Yugi's grandfather, and by now he was just as knowledgeable about the game. Anzu was pursuing her dream to be an infamous dancer, and she was accepted to the College of the Arts in New York two years ago after Atem left. Honda was embodying his namesake, and investing all of his time and money into a car dealership.

And Yugi was just…

Little Yugi.

He hadn't changed much, except he was more closed off, and less inclined to be social. It's not that he was ostracizing his friends, it was just-they were all focused intently on their goals, and their future, and he was…lost.

He didn't know what he wanted.

He was the proclaimed king of games, with all the power of the god cards in his deck, but he even felt disconnected from Duel Monsters. Lately, he couldn't bring himself to use his duel disk, or dust off his deck to use. He hadn't dueled in almost a year. He still had absolute faith in himself, and his deck. The Heart of the cards never failed him. What he had issues with was the nostalgic feeling that came along with dueling.

It reminded him of Atem, and every card was imbued with the pharoah's touch, and spirit.

More often than not, Yugi found himself turning down challenges for his title. Seto Kaiba frequently prompted him to duel, and although he wasn't afraid of losing, he wouldn't be doing the game justice because his heart wasn't in it. Winning or losing would not bring the same satisfaction it used to, and he couldn't divine the urge to fight for something that just…didn't matter to him.

He would give up his title tomorrow if it would bring his other half back.

**Atem…**

Another tear trailed down his cheek, landing on the Dark Magician card.

**I miss you, my friend.**

Yugi closed his eyes again, succumbing to a dreamless sleep.

Beneath him, his Dark Magician card pulsed once, and the vibrations resonated throughout the room. Darkness embraced him, and just like he was so many times before Yugi was enveloped by the shadows.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Hey, Hey wake up. You can't sleep there."

Yugi groaned blearily as someone tried to shake him awake. He had been sound asleep, and although he was generally a gentle person, he still appreciated eight hours of good down time before he was forced to join the waking world. This was just cruel. Turning stubbornly away from the insistent hands he waved them off, curling into himself. "Go away." He mumbled wearily, squeezing his eyes shut as if that would make the person disappear until he was ready to wake up.

"I'm serious. If the guards see you there, they're going to arrest you." The voice hissed in his ear, and Yugi shivered at the warm breath fanning over his neck.

Sighing in defeat, Yugi opened his eyes, letting his vision adjust to the poor lighting. His eyes narrowed as he became more coherent and he studied the one who dragged him back to the land of the living. The first thing he became aware of was the outlandish clothing the man was wearing. Donned in a simple white shift, the man was the picture of humble living. His clothes were ridiculous, and fashioned for a time that was centuries past. Yugi didn't understand why the man was clothed so archaically. What cemented his foreign appearance was the gold armbands, and the heavy gold circlet resting on the man's chest.

Who was this guy?

"Arrest me?" Yugi asked dumbly, after he took the time to absorb the strange man's words. Wasn't he in his grandpa's apartment above the game shop? Why would anyone arrest him there? And how did this man get into his room?

Yugi pondered these questions, and for the first time he spared a glance at his surroundings. As soon as he did, he realized he wasn't in his room. He wasn't at home, and he wasn't in any variation of Japan that should exist. All around him, vast exotic homes were built ontop of each other. Giant structures, unlike any he had ever seen stretched for miles in every direction.

He gaped, his jaw dropping open in shock.

"Where am I?"

The odd looking man stared strangely at him, like Yugi should know where he was.

Yugi returned the bewildered look. He wasn't crazy, he was just… a tad ignorant, and confused. Most people would be if they fell asleep one place and woke up in another. The man's alarmed look wasn't helping either.

"You're in Odero." The man said cautiously, grabbing Yugi's arm and yanking him away from the sacred area he'd been unknowingly desecrating with his presence. For the first time Yugi saw a small shrine a foot away from where he'd been lying, and he noticed huge statues erected at the entrance of the sacred hall they were in. His eyes widened mutely in wonderment.

"Odero…" He echoed helplessly glancing around, he had no idea where Odero was. It was not a place he was familiar with, and he doubted it would be on any map he'd ever seen. The man forcing him from the hall, either didn't sense this or he chose to ignore it. Instead the odd looking man was content to let Yugi stew in a mild state of shock, so he could easily drag him out of the sacred hall without incident. "I don't understand," Yugi murmured finally as they emerged from the inner recesses of the temple and he was hit with his first real dose of sunlight. The sun's rays were bright, and he had to shield his eyes so he wasn't completely blind from the change in light.

Outside it was blistering hot, but there was a plethora of bustling activity keeping the area abuzz. People of varying classes milled about, flitting from market stand to stand for food, pottery, clothes, and meat. Everyone was moving, and looked busy, and the noise of the crowd, and the heat of the people were starting to make Yugi's head spin. Where was he?

He grasped the man's arm tightly. "This is wrong….I'm not supposed to be here. I don't even know where here is." He exclaimed releasing his guide, and running a hand through his crimson locks.

"On the contrary boy, no one comes to the temple of Phias by accident…I believe you're exactly where you are meant to be."

The odd man sounded like a bad fortune cookie…

"Somehow I doubt that." Yugi said quietly, glancing down at himself. He was still wearing the clothes he fell asleep in. His black muscle shirt, and blue jean pants stood out here in this time of togas, silk, and bare skin. He didn't look like he was meant to be here. He looked like he was supposed to be back at the game shop with his grandfather.

"If you don't believe me…this should confirm it for you." The man pointed at Yugi's forearm, and he glanced down in the pointed direction. Encircling his forearm was an intricate black design, curved into long delicate spirals and ending in a single eye-similar to the mark that was engraved on his millennium puzzle. His brow furrowed as he studied the mark. That was definitely not there before. It was one of several new things that were appearing haphazardly where they shouldn't be.

"What is this?" He held up his forearm in the light. The mark was visible at every angle. He didn't understand how it came to be. There was no sign of reddening, so it wasn't branded on him while he was asleep. It didn't hurt, and didn't feel like a tattoo. It was just maddeningly symmetrical, and familiar. He knew this mark intimately, and associated it with Atem. That did not explain why it was not marked on his flesh.

"That, is a mark of magic. It means you are a summoner for beasts of a certain class." The man explained, his expression exultant as he examined Yugi's arm. He let his arm be turned to and fro, while he pondered the man's words. He was a summoner? That was incredibly nonhelpful. What was a summoner? And what was this crazy man talking about dubbing Yugi as one? The only summoning he could say he was proficient at was the summoning involved with Duel Monsters, but somehow he didn't think this man was talking about a card game.

"I don't understand." Yugi replied truthfully, repeating the same words he'd said a thousand times already since arriving.

"Perhaps you don't need to. I'm a priest for the temple, and as such I'm a spiritual advisor for the Warlord in charge of this city. He's the only one I've ever seen that mark on. Perhaps he can explain it to you, and also help cure your heathen tendencies." The priest grinned, not cruelly, but not happily either. Yugi could safely say it seemed this priest was baring his teeth, in the same way predators do before they strike.

He nodded quickly, unsure of how to respond to the obvious insult.

He wasn't a heathen.

Just because he wore clothes from a different era, spoke differently, and held different beliefs than the people here didn't mean he was "ungodly" or a practiced heathen. He stifled his indignation, and silently followed the priest down the long set of stairs leading into the city. The priest was going to take him to see this Warlord person because they bared the same marks as each other. He glanced down at his arm where the eye insignia was glaring up at him, mocking him.

The mark was Egyptian. It had always symbolized the pharaoh for him, but it was more than that. Idly, he wondered if he was in some warped version of Egypt, or perhaps he had been sucked into another Virtual Reality again. He was so used to getting dropped in those kinds of situations; he couldn't summon the energy to be too surprised anymore. Anything was plausible at this point.

He absentmindedly weaved in and out of the crowd after the priest, while keeping an eye on the natives from his peripherals. He made sure not to make eye contact with the locals who were all staring at him strangely. He was an intruder here, and everyone knew it. His arrival really shouldn't warrant this much attention. Either this was a small town, or he looked more alien like than he thought. A low murmuring swept over the crowd, and although Yugi understood most of the words said, some were whispered in low tones in another language, and he was reminded sharply that although this place had similarities to his home, this wasn't the Japan, or even the Earth he was used too.

After what seemed like an eternity, the priest finally stopped in front of a large building with two intricately carved jackals made of stone guarding the gates. Yugi craned his head up to imprint the massive structure in his head. He didn't know if he'd be seeing the beautiful building again. He might find a way to leave soon…or maybe he was going to be stuck here forever, he thought glumly to himself.

To his surprise, the priest didn't pause at the entrance of this insanely large building, instead he just walked right in. There was no door to deter him, just a large perfectly carved hole in the wall that served as a doorway. This was another thing Yugi managed to observe. Whatever time or place he was in-a few things were abundantly clear-this place was large, intimidating, busy, and it was also incredibly primitive. There were no cars, no trains, no t.v.'s-none of the shiny, sleek toys that Kaiba and Pegasus liked to play with.

It was daunting to go from a modern technological world to this…

Yugi was never a fan of regressing.

His philosophy was to always move forward.

It would not be easy to do that here, he decided as he followed the priest down a dark hallway, and had to stop himself from running into the man as they rounded a corner. The priest had abruptly stopped in front of a door, and seemed to be debating about going in or not. Sending a sharp warning look towards Yugi, he slowly cracked open the door, and slipped inside. Hesitantly, Yugi followed his lead, closing the door behind him.

"Warlord." The priest dipped his head cordially, and placed a fist in his open palm, bowing in respect to the man in front of them.

"Vestio, why are you here?" A rich sonorous voice filled the room, and Yugi stiffened, his back growing rigid, and his heart nearly stopping at the familiar timbre. He knew that voice.

"I found a straggler in the temple. He's a foreigner with strange clothes. He seems to have suffered a brain injury of some sort and can't remember anything. When I saw the mark on his arm I decided to deliver him to you." Vestio, the once nameless priest, replied flatly, his tone suggesting that he was not appreciative of the greeting he had just received from the Warlord. Apparently being spoken down to, and greeted like the ugly stepsister was not good for the priest's ego.

Yugi bit his lip, looking down at his shoes.

He couldn't bring himself to look up because he knew if he did, all of his defenses would crumble.

Soft metal foot steps clanked against the ground, as the Warlord himself decided to approach the duo. Yugi stared resolutely at his feet, even as the Warlord's metal boots came within his line of sight. Calloused fingers grabbed his chin, forcing him to look up, and Yugi's breath caught in his throat.

Piercing purple orbs met his own.

"Atem…" He breathed, unable to articulate himself any better than that.

Atem was here-right in front of him. After all this time, he was finally seeing his partner, his best friend, and he felt the emptiness inside him dissipating, even if it was only for the moment. He'd longed to see the pharaoh for so long that now that they were face to face he didn't know what to do or say. He agonized over seeing him again, but never did he expect to see him so soon…and here? Why was Atem here? As a Warlord of all things? The face that bore such a striking resemblance to his own was impassive, revealing nothing. Not a hint of recognition entered his dark counterpart's gaze.

Yugi was confused.

Atem wasn't helping things either. A puzzled expression crossed the pharoah's face, and slowly he released Yugi's chin. He seemed confounded by Yugi's words. After a second of measured silence, the former pharaoh shook his head. "I don't know how you know my name, but clearly we have a few things to discuss." He said, pausing significantly to glare at Yugi, who shifted uncomfortably under his stare.

Then a second later, after absorbing his friend's words, he had to grab the door frame to steady himself.

He felt like Atem just crushed him under heel.

For some reason he couldn't fathom, his other half...

Didn't even recognize him.

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**Good? Bad? R and R please. Reviews are my aphrodisiac.**


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